A probe initiated as part of a crackdown to expose corruption within the Iraqi army has revealed that there were 50,000 "ghost soldiers" on its payroll.
These soldiers either did not exist or no longer reported for duty but were still paid. The figure also includes soldiers who deserted or were killed in recent fighting. A statement issued from Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi's office said that their payments had been stopped, reported the BBC.
A spokesman from Abadi's office said that the probe was initiated when the salary payments were made.
The United States had spent billions of dollars to build the Iraqi army.
Rampant corruption within the army is seen as one of the major reasons why it is struggling to contain the Islamic State (IS) insurgency.
